


Your Song

by Phantom-Sunset (TheLovelyPatronus)



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Aged Up, Everyone Is Alive, F/M, Luke is pan, M/M, Marijuana, Meet-Cute, New York City, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance, Song Lyrics, Summer Fic, Swearing, lots of swearing, self indulgent fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-14 12:41:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29046303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLovelyPatronus/pseuds/Phantom-Sunset
Summary: She feels calluses on his fingers through the thin material of her dress. She wonders what he does with his fingers that caused them and that thought leads her to how potentially talented he is with said fingers. Her body heats up in response to the mental image, her chest flushing red. He takes her hand and squeezes, a warning that he’s about to spin her out again.He does and she’s laughing loud and from the heart. When he pulls her back and she gets a close up look of his face. Cute was not the right word, he is gorgeous . She can just make out a light scattering of freckles over the bridge of his nose and across his cheeks. She wants to trace them, connect them, to see if they make up any constellations she’s familiar with.
Relationships: Alex Mercer/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Julie Molina/Luke Patterson
Comments: 20
Kudos: 107
Collections: Random_booklovers favourite Juke fics





	Your Song

**Author's Note:**

> This is going to be pure self indulgent fluff. Nothing bad happens at all and our kids are HAPPY.
> 
> We’re just going to suspend our disbelief here and pretend it’s fully plausible to find a great apartment with a great landlord in Manhattan for a very low price. We’re also going to pretend that it’s possible for a 20 year old to own a successful record store in NYC. Also, that 18 is the legal drinking age.
> 
> I know I promised to post this on 2/19 but every time I go back to write I reread it and end up hating it and changing things around so I'm posting the first chapter today to keep me accountable.

**_Woke up with a fear this morning_ **

She wakes up terrified the morning of her high school graduation. She’s boarding a plane to the farthest point from LA that she can get right after the ceremony. She’s been counting down the days for a year, but that doesn't stop her heart from trying to beat out of her chest. 

The memories in LA are too painful, too heavy, too suffocating. Ray understands, he lets her go, doesn’t he? Ray promises himself he won’t cry today. He’s crying anyway, though. Carlos is just happy to move into the bigger room and tells her so when she hugs him goodbye.

“Don’t try to come back early, you’ll have to take my room and I still haven’t cleaned under the bed. I’m not even sure what’s under there anymore.” Carlos says into her neck while he’s clutching her to him outside of the airport. He’s fourteen and so tall now that he has to hunch himself down to her size.

Her aunt Victoria simply bursts into tears and hugs her close. She mumbles about her little _sobrina_ being all grown up. She goes through the checklist of the things she’s packed and triple checks that Julie has her pepper spray and taser packed in her checked bags.

Flynn is less understanding and more heartbroken at the thought of losing her best friend to four years at NYU. She deflates just a little when Julie presents her with a round trip ticket for winter break before stepping away, teary eyed, to walk to the check in line.

Five hours later, Julie is landing at JFK airport. She orders an Uber to take her into the city and to her new home. She exhales heavily as she throws open the door to her apartment in a three story brownstone four blocks from campus. 

She’d only seen it in pictures before agreeing to sign a four year lease for a lower price. It was a steal and she half expected that the structure would be crumbling due to the price she’d been given. Her face stretches into a smile because it’s actually a gorgeous little place with original molding and brightly painted rooms. 

Dark hardwood lines the floors, large windows look out to one of the few quiet streets in New York City. The kitchen is off to the right connecting to a small dining area and slightly larger living room. Two doors stand open on the left wall, one leading to the bathroom and the other to the bedroom. She couldn’t wait for her furniture to arrive tomorrow so she could start decorating.

She drops her bags and decides to go out and explore her new neighborhood, maybe find a bakery so that she can pick up something for Mrs. Moskowitz, her landlady. 

The woman is a widow in her mid sixties whose kids are grown up and have moved away. Julie is the only tenant on the third floor while the woman had the first two. She doesn’t need the money but her kids insist she make something off of the extra apartment anyway.

She walks through the streets, summer is just arriving in the city, not yet drowning it in humidity so oppressing it feels like you're breathing in water instead of air. The sun is just beginning to set and the sky is blue fading into bright orange. Julie stops on the sidewalk and takes a deep breath. She lets it out with a huge smile. 

She’s free. She’s starting over from scratch. A thousand pounds have disappeared from her shoulders. She's not Julie with the dead mom or Julie that hasn’t sang a note in a year. She’s Julie Molina, Arts student at NYU and _fuck, it feels amazing!_ She can’t remember why she’d been so scared that morning.

* * *

Julie’s been in New York for a month. She found a job at a record store close by with probably the most amazing boss to ever exist. Willie is an old soul in a twenty year old body. He speaks about music like a physical entity that he got to touch every day. He taught guitar and drums in a studio in the back. Willie turns out to be her first friend since moving across the country.

“Want to go out tonight? I really feel like dancing.” She asks Willie one Friday at the end of July. He smiles at her and his cheeks flush slightly pink.

“I actually have a date tonight.” Julie's eyebrows shoot up almost into her hairline.

“What happened to ‘Love is for the uninformed and uninspired’? She quotes his words from a week ago.

“Turns out I can be wrong sometimes. He finally worked up the nerve to talk to me after two weeks of pretending to stare at an ABBA album.” Willie responds, a bright smile on his face as he looks away bashfully. The A’s were closest to the register where Willie sat every day.

“Fanny Pack? Finally! I knew he was into you.” She’s beaming at him now, so happy for her friend. The image of watching the guy move towards the register, hesitate, and then go back to the ABBA vinyl flash in her mind. She laughs at the memory.

“Turns out he’s extremely _informed and inspired._ He’s in a band. _A drummer, Julie.”_ He wines the last part like that alone explains his rapid change of mind.

“Oh, yeah. I can see how that’d do it.” She winks at him and turns back to the new shipment of records that she’s been alphabetizing.

“I’m more of a guitar girl, myself.” Willie chuckles and grabs the C’s that she’s finished. He walks over to the shelves to her right to start putting them on display.

“If all goes well, I can always find out if their guitarist is cute. And into women.” Willie waggles his eyebrows suggestively, adding that last part on as an afterthought. Julie swats him with the Dave Matthews Band Vinyl in her hand and turns back to her task, shaking her head.

“Why don’t you go to Stereo?” Willie suggests after a few minutes of silence. She looks back to him and beams.

“Great idea!” She laughs at herself for not thinking of it first.

Stereo is a club within walking distance of her apartment. It’s one of her favorite places with a genius system. You get a wristband at the door depending on your mood for the night. Red for “I want to be left alone.” Yellow for “I wouldn’t mind some conversation” and green for “I’m here to hook up.” 

There’s security all over the place who watches for people who don't respect the wrist band. Those that don’t get kicked out quickly and banned from coming back. It opened a year ago and had quickly become popular.

* * *

Julie’s getting dressed, her Bluetooth speaker blasting out Sam Smith. She’s twirling around her bedroom and holding up a flowy pink dress. It’s made of silk and drapes over her body like a liquid. She dances over to her mirror to get a better look, tugging her head between the strings that hold it up and the hanger it is still hanging on.

_“_ _Now I got you in my space. I won't let go of you. Got you shackled in my embrace. I'm latching on to you_ _”_ She sings to herself as she appraises her reflection, deciding she feels most beautiful in this dress with it’s strings that both hold up the bust and criss cross over her exposed back. It’s tight in the torso and flares out at her hips, stopping just above her knees. She settles on strappy gold wedges that make her legs look twice as long to complete the look.

She climbs onto her bathroom sink, facing the vanity mirror and works on her eyeliner which ends up sharp enough to cut glass on the first try. She does a little victory dance, seated with her feet in the sink. After all, the chances of getting eyeliner perfect on the first try is zilch. 

She follows that up with mascara and it’s during this mundane moment that she realizes that she feels lighter than she’s felt in a long time. Her heart flutters in agreement at the realization.

At ten she puts on her go-to lip gloss before hurrying out the door and down the stairs. She breathes in the smell of the city and basks in the heat of summer in NYC. The straps of her dress are pulling the material making it hug her in all the right places and she feels gorgeous. 

She left her hair down to flow wildly around her head, the curls bounce with every step she takes. She passes a couple on her way. They look happy, the man has his arm around the girl and he’s pulling her closer. She’s laughs at something her boyfriend whispers in her ear. Her head is thrown back in pure euphoria, eyes closed. Julie smiles at the sight and the girl opens her eyes and looks at Julie, she smiles back.

“You’re beautiful.” The girl says as they pass. Julie’s smile gets impossibly wider as she giggles out a thank you. 

* * *

**_But I can taste you on the tip of my tongue_ **

“Yellow, please.” She says to the bouncer. He scans her ID and hands it back before putting the wristband on for her. He opens the door for her and she walks in, heading straight to the bar for the beer she’s been craving all day.

“Blue Moon, please.” She says to the bartender. She’s pulled her card out of her small crossbody bag before the woman comes back with her drink. Julie gets her card back and grabs the bottle before heading straight for the dancefloor.

There’s tables surrounding the floor. Groups of girls with fake veils at one table, having the time of their lives surrounded by bottles of champagne. Their red wristbands glow in the black light above them. 

Another table over and there’s a few guys wearing green wristbands. They're toasting small shots of a dark liquid. Her eyes move to the next table and it's two guys toasting their beers and laughing, their yellow bands creating the illusion of light circling their wrists. The one in the leather jacket spots someone by the bar and gets up, leaving the other to sip his beer and look around.

Julie swigs her beer and moves to sit at an empty table, nodding along to the music until a song starts that shoots that feeling into her bones. You know the one. Where the bass feels like a lover's caress and the beat weaves itself into your heart until you're sure it’s thumping in time with the rhythm. 

It’s dark as she makes her way to the middle of the dancefloor, the light strobing with the beat and making her feel like she’s on another planet. She lets the music take her over as she moves alone, not a care in the world. She promised herself on the flight here that she’d step completely out of her comfort zone and this was way out.

She’d never gone out alone before, stranger danger and all that. This is great though and she thinks she’ll make a regular thing of it. It’s nice to not have to wait on someone else or to change plans when someone doesn’t agree with a location. It’s easy and easy is exactly what Julie wants.

She feels awkward at first but as she continues to swig from her beer and listen to the song, she stops caring. Her feet move to the beat and her hips sway in time, her arm is thrown over her head as the beat drops and the world fades away.

“ _With every touch of you it’s like I’ve started dreaming. Guess heaven’s not that far away.”_ She mouths the words and the beat kicks up again, it makes her spine tingle. She sips the last of her beer and holds the empty bottle while she dances until the song ends.

She walks back to her table and places the empty bottle there before returning to the dancefloor for the next song. It’s one of her favorites and this time she sings along to it. No one can hear her anyway over the DJ’s speakers.

“ _Look what you made me do. I’m with somebody new. Oh, baby baby, I’m dancing with a stranger_ ” She’s running her hands over her body now, completely forgetting that she’s in a public space. She brings them back down and clutches at the fabric of the dress on either side, pulling it up slightly as she continues to move.

When she opens her eyes there’s a guy swaying gently to the music in front of her, he’s holding out a bottle of Blue Moon. Smiling as he brings out a set of keys with a bottle opener on the chain and shows it to her before pointing back to the bottle in his hand, his yellow wristband shakes with the movement.

She nods and smiles. He’s cute. _Really_ cute with a gorgeous smile and really kind eyes. Her stomach swoops when he opens the bottle and passes it to her, putting the bottle cap in his pocket to dispose of later.

He holds out his hand, asking for a dance. She has a moment to take in his shaggy dark hair. His ripped jeans, the scuffed Vans, and the KISS cutoff tee before she decides she’d like to see where this goes.

She puts her hand in his and he pulls her close, adjusting their hands so that her palm lays flat against his and their fingers grip the other's hand. He brings his other arm around her waist pulling her close. His form is professional and confident and she wonders if he has a background in dance.

His posture is too perfect not to. She knows her own posture reflects it as well and when he realizes it, he beams at her. Finally, all those years of bleeding blisters and sprained toes. Years of her ballroom teacher correcting her posture. It's all paid off if she got _this_ guy to look at her like _that._

“ _Think about it, there must be a higher love. Down in the heart or hidden in the stars above.”_ Whitney Houston’s voice fills the space and she’s moving with him. Years of training makes following his lead second nature.

And goddamn, is the guy leading. His hips are pressed close to hers and her right leg is between both of his. His hand on the small of her back is pressing her closer still. Her hands are clutching his biceps now and he dips her low. He's arching over her as she bends backwards, her hair just reaching the floor as she goes with the movement.

When the beat drops he spins her out and pulls her back in so that her back is flush with his chest. Their bodies line up perfectly, his vallies a perfect fit to her peaks, as they move to the rhythm of the song. 

His arm is around her abdomen now, his hand splayed wide over her hip. His other hand comes up to move her hair away from her neck, moving it to rest on her shoulder. He blows cool air through puckered lips and the sensation of his breath over her sweaty skin raises goosebumps across her neck and shoulders.

She feels calluses on his fingers through the thin material of her dress. She wonders what he does with his fingers that caused them and that thought leads her to how potentially talented he is with said fingers. Her body heats up in response to the mental image, her chest flushing red. He takes her hand and squeezes, a warning that he’s about to spin her out again.

He does and she’s laughing loud and from the heart. When he pulls her back and she gets a close up look of his face. Cute was not the right word, he is _gorgeous_. She can just make out a light scattering of freckles over the bridge of his nose and across his cheeks. She wants to trace them, connect them, to see if they make up any constellations she’s familiar with. 

They haven’t spoken a word to each other the entire time they’ve been dancing. She doesn’t even know his name but _dios mio, is she drawn to him._ The music changes again and he shows no sign of slowing down. He takes the empty bottle out of her hand and moves to put it on the table. 

He comes back to her and mouths the words to the song that had started playing as he brings her close again so that they’re pressed chest to chest. Her right leg back between both of his again. His left hand is splayed on her lower back, his right on her hip as he sways with her, bending his knees when she bends hers, they go lower. This song is slower, the rhythm sensual instead of energetic.

“ _Arms around you. Te amo mami, let me hold you. Wrap me arms right around you, girl, oh yeah_ _.”_ He’s singing into her ear now and his voice is like honey and just as sweet. His hips are leading hers and her arms are around his neck pulling him closer until their foreheads are touching. They’re still dancing but it feels more intimate.  
  


“ _Pa' que fumemos como fumamos en La Habana. Siempre andamos positivos. Esa es la forma en que vivo, activ_ _o_ _”_ She sings into his ear. She's so lost in the moment that it doesn’t even register that she just sang to someone.

His hands tighten on her hips at the sound of her voice. Distantly, she’s aware that she just sang. To a complete stranger. For the first time in a year. Her thoughts are cut off when his hand travels slowly from her hip to wrap around the back of her neck, under her curls.

_This is foreplay now._ And Julie is completely okay with the thought, in fact she’s excited about it. It’s the hottest thing she’s ever experienced and she wants to taste him. Wants to know if he still tastes like whatever alcohol he's been drinking or if he has his own unique flavor.

When the song ends she pulls him towards the bathrooms but stops just a few feet short before pushing him into an alcove that’s completely hidden from the eyes of anyone else. He has no time to say anything to her before she’s pulling him to her lips by the front of his t-shirt. 

Her hands are all over him, running over his chest, his arms, _fuck! Those arms._ Her hands move to his back, feeling every part of him she can before finally coming to rest on the back of his neck. A barrier in case he tries to pull away. 

The fire raging inside of her is burning away whatever oxygen she has left in her lungs. She doesn’t pull away, though, letting him breath for her as he growls into her mouth.

His hand is tangled in the curls at the nape of her neck, the other trailing down her leg before curling around the back of her knee and pulling it up to rest against his hip. His hand moves up and comes to rest, gripping, at the back of her thigh, just brushing the curve of her ass. 

The calluses she’s so curious about trace against her bare skin and she presses herself closer seeking friction at the sensation. He moans into her mouth while his tongue caresses hers, she moans too. Her body answers his without her consciously deciding to. 

She pulls back and looks him in the eyes, he doesn’t look away. His pupils are blown wide, leaving a thin ring of pigment around the inky black. His neck is flushed and his hand still grips the back of her thigh, squeezing and releasing in time to her pulse. His other hand is still on the back of her neck but now he’s rubbing his thumb over the curve where her neck meets her shoulder. They need to get out of here before she literally bursts into flame. 

“My apartment is a few blocks away.” She’s breathing heavy, their noses are almost touching.

“What are we waiting for?” He answers. His voice is husky, gravely and it travels from her ears to straight between her legs. 

She takes his hand again and pulls him out of the club and down the block. They make it a few feet before he’s pushing her up against a fence and kissing her again, his hand is cradling the back of her head to keep it from slamming against the chain links.

She pushes him away with a loud laugh that comes from deep inside of her and pulls him forward again. This time they make it a block before she’s the one pushing him up against the bricks of an apartment building. He’s biting her bottom lip, pulling before running his tongue along it to ease the sting of the bite. She’s moaning again.

He’s the one to pull her forward this time. They're both laughing as they stumble through the door. She shushes him, barely suppressing her own giggles, trying not to wake Mrs. Moskowitz.

His hands are on her hips as she climbs the stairs in front of him, he’s a step behind and his hands move from her hips down her legs before coming back up under the dress this time. Julie quickens her steps.

She pushes him against the door, her keys clutched in her hand, long forgotten as the taste of him makes the backs of her eyelids explode with starbursts. He pulls away, trailing kisses over her jaw, her neck, her exposed shoulder and she realizes, in a surprise moment of clarity, that she still doesn’t know his name.

“I’m Julie, by the way.” She says, her voice breathier than she’d ever heard it. He looks up at her and bursts out laughing.

“Luke. It’s nice to meet you.” He cringes and barks out another laugh.

“ _Nice_ doesn’t even come close.” And he’s kissing her again, his fingers in her hair, his nails scratching at her scalp as he tangles his fingers in her curls again. His other hand is playing with the strings of her dress, looking for the knot that would release it.

She pushes him away and turns her back to him, facing her door so she can finally get it open. The movement does nothing to deter him. He simply moves the curtain of her hair to the side and runs his tongue along the line of her neck, stopping to plant a hot open mouthed kiss just under her ear.

She shivers as she finally gets the door open and pushes in, he’s right behind her, moving as if he’s an extension of her body and not a whole other person.

They don’t make it to her bedroom but that’s okay. Her couch is comfortable and big enough for them both. She’s kissing him with the urgency of someone drowning and needing to come up for air. Luke just happens to be in possession of the only oxygen in the room.

She’s tearing off his shirt and only has a moment to process how beautiful he is before his arms are around her again, finding the knot this time and releasing the dress. He lets it pool around her wedges in a puddle of pale pink silk.

He's wrapped around her again and the skin on skin contact makes her gasp. He runs hot, just warm enough to be comfortable instead of stifling. He’s lifting her, moving her legs to wrap around his waist before he sits down with her on top, straddling him.

“Is this okay?” He’s asking but his lips are already on her. Tasting everywhere he’d been unable to reach before.

“Mmm, okay. _So okay._ ” The words come out on a moan and she’s gone after that. 

* * *

**_You’re by my side and we’ve got smoke in our lungs_ **

They’re laying side by side on the shaggy carpet between the couch and the coffee table. The green numbers on the digital clock read 1:48 am. She’s wired and she doesn’t think she’ll be sleeping at all tonight. Thankfully, she’s off on Saturdays.

Julie stands up and goes into her bedroom. She throws on some shorts and a ripped Rush t-shirt that hangs off of her shoulder. She walks to the jar that sits on her nightstand and pulls out a joint that Willie had rolled for her earlier in the day and grabs the lighter from the drawer.

She comes out of the bedroom to find Luke looking through her record collection by the TV. He’s put on his KISS shirt and boxers. His jeans and her dress still scattered around the room, their shoes kicked off and somehow tossed all over. His face is split in a wide smile when he looks over at her.

“You have great taste in music.” He says.

“Most of them were my mom’s. The rest of them I got from work. Employee discount.” She laughs.

“Where do you work?” He asks, still looking through the vinyl's. He doesn’t ask about the past tense when she speaks about her mom and she finds it refreshing. 

“A record store not too far from here. Chords & Chorus’” She answers. He nods and she’s smiling again.

“You haven’t been working there long, huh? I would have definitely remembered you.” She nods in agreement at his statement and holds up the joint and lighter.

“How about a little something to relax?” She asks. He hasn't stopped smiling at her and she realizes she hasn't either. He walks over to her and takes the joint and lighter from her hand.

“Here?” He asks and she shakes her head. She walks over to her kitchen and grabs an open bottle of wine and two glasses. She tilts her head signaling him to follow her and walks over to the window with the fire escape. 

He opens it for her and helps her climb out before following her out and up the steps to the roof. His mouth hangs open at the sight that greets him. 

There’s plants everywhere, including tall palms in giant pots. There’s fairy lights strung between the tall trees framing a large circular daybed that rests in the middle.

There’s a rug that spreads out almost the full area of the roof. Luke watches Julie walk over to the lounger and sit down cross legged. She looks at him , still smiling and then turns back to the wine. She opens it and pours them both a glass, holding one out to him.

“This place is awesome!” He says as he sits down and takes the glass from her. 

He looks around again taking it all in. It’s like a little oasis in the middle of the city. There’s flowers blooming in some of the pots, others are just colorful leaves. There’s vines that have only just begun crawling up one of the walls. He notices a wall that is completely covered in mosaic, the broken glass creating an image of a sunset over a bright blue ocean.

“Mrs. Moskowitz never comes up here so she said I could do what I want with it.” Julie explains. She watches his eyes widen.

“You did all of this?” He asks her, a note of wonder in his voice.

“Yeah. My friend slash boss, Willie, helped me with the mosaic.” She waves over to the wall. “And the plants...well. I’ve always loved being surrounded by nature. I used to garden with my mom all the time.” 

She realizes that with anyone else, bringing up her mother would destroy her. Render her useless for at least a day while she cries it out. Talking to him though, this guy that doesn’t know her or her mother, it’s pretty easy.

“It’s beautiful. You did a great job.” He says and then turns to the joint in his hand lighting it up. He takes a couple of hits and passes it to her.

She takes it, inhales and holds the smoke through the burning in her lungs, before releasing it. She inhales another hit and passes it back. She takes a sip of her wine, the sour taste mixing with the smokiness of the weed reminds her of days spent at the beach with Flynn, watching the sunset and passing joints back and forth while sipping from a thermos filled with wine. She leans back against the lounger, still sipping on the wine and lets the memory wash over her.

Luke moves up next to her, his elbow bent and his head resting on his hand. He looks down at her and makes eye contact. His eyes are hazel, she realizes. A little more green than brown, his gaze is intense on hers as he brings the joint to his lips. 

He pulls deeply and brings his hand behind her neck, tilting her head up like he’s going to kiss her but stops a millimeter short. His lips are parted and hers follow his lead. He blows the smoke into her mouth and she inhales. The taste of him combined with the weed makes her lightheaded.

He pulls away and finishes the rest of the wine in his glass as he passes the joint back to her. Julie sits up and climbs over him, straddling his hips. She’s pulling his head up towards her, her hands on either side of his face, the lit joint between her index and middle finger. Her hair is a curtain around them, blocking out the rest of the world. She pulls deeply on the joint, presses her lips to his and slowly blows the smoke into his lungs.

When he pulls back, the whites of his eyes are tinted pink and he’s looking at her like he could devour her whole right there and then. He takes what's left of the joint and snubs it out in an ashtray to the side of the lounger before flipping her over so that his hips are between her legs.

Her effect on him is obvious as he thrusts forward pulling a moan from her lips. He brings his head down and starts trailing kisses from under her ear to her collarbone, down between her breasts, lower across her stomach as he pushes her shirt up, until he moves away to take her shorts off. His head ends up between her legs as she breathes his name into the night sky.

* * *

**_And then you say love, baby, let's go back to my flat_ **

**_And when we wake up, never had a feeling like that_ **

They lay in the lounger, spent and comfortable with her head on his chest and his fingers playing with her curls, easing out knots as he finds them. _Easy._ Julie thinks for the third time that night. He was _easy._ Easy to be around, easy to talk to, easy in every way that counts.

He tells her about his life. He's 19, born and raised in New York, she should have known, with that accent. He’s a sophomore at NYU too, also an Arts major. He lives in the village with his two best friends and bandmates. He plays guitar (The reason for the calluses that drove her crazy all night) and sings lead for Sunset Curve (their band). 

He works at a bookstore where he takes full advantage of his employee discount. He’s a dog guy, has a major sweet tooth, and absolutely loves the entire Marvel catalogue (It’s a tie between Peter Parker and Steve Rogers because they’re from New York, Julie. I have to rep my pride.) He mentions his parents and she gets the sense that their relationship is strained, so she doesn’t ask about them.

She tells him about Los Angeles, why she left. How much she misses her best friend who's going to UCLA in the fall (Entertainment Law major). She tells him about her dad and brother (Who’s going to play for the MLB one day.) 

She finds herself opening up about Rose and her death. She even tells him about her inability to sing a single note in the last year. Something she hasn’t spoken about with anyone aside from Dr. Turner. She tells him how scared she was to come here alone, how she feels completely at home in this city in the month she’s been here. He nods at the right times and asks questions along the way when he needs clarification.

“You’re just not ready. It happens. One day you’re going to open your mouth and all the things holding you back will feel a million miles away.” He says it like he speaks from experience. Like he’s had to overcome his own hurdles in his music and the idea comforts her, convinces her that she’s not alone. 

She tilts her head up and plants a kiss on his cheek. He smiles at her, the same smile that he’s been giving her all night. Like he’s just seen the sun for the first time. She returns it before bringing her head back to its original position.

The sky starts to lighten on the horizon, dark blue fading into black. Then there’s a sliver of orange as the very top of the sun peeks through. The rays reach out, caressing the city as all of the glass windows surrounding them sparkle in the light of the star at the center of the solar system. 

They continue to lay there in comfortable silence, her hands playing with the rings on his fingers. His hand is still playing with her hair. When the sun gets too bright for their sleepy eyes, Julie leads him back into her apartment and into her bedroom where they curl up together and fall asleep at close to 7 am. 

She wakes up with a smile on her face, one she thinks might end up becoming permanent if this city keeps feeding her soul the way it’s been doing. She turns over but her bed is empty, a hot pink post-it note stuck to the pillow where Luke had slept. She reaches out to take it and reads the little note he left her.

_Work at 10. Here’s my number. Text/Call me anytime - L_ _♥_

Julie reaches for her phone, the time showing 11:11 AM. No need for wishes today, she wouldn’t even know what she’d wish for if she wanted to.

Dancing King🕺

11:11 AM

I had the best time last night. Thanks to you 💜 -J

  
  


She sees an unopened text from Flynn and clicks to that. It’s a picture of a plane ticket for tomorrow. From LAX to JFK with the words “Birthday gift from the Dad’s” under it. Julie screams and launches out of bed pressing the facetime button on her way. Flynn’s excited face and loud squeal greats her.

“This time tomorrow I’m going to be on the plane to New York!” Flynn shouts.

“What time do you land? How long are you staying? Oh my god, there’s so much I wanna show you!” Flynn laughs at Julie’s excitement.

“I land at three. Two weeks. We’re going out tomorrow night so don’t make any plans.” Flynn answers. She’s beaming on the screen and Julie cannot wait.

She takes the phone with her as she goes to the bathroom, humming to herself as Flynn catches her up on everything she’s missed while Julie brushes her teeth.

“And now Nick is dating Kayla which is weird on it’s own but he’s leaving at the end of the month for Virginia. Like, why waste each other's time?” Julie nods along, not realizing that Flynn is waiting for an answer. She’s too busy smiling at her own reflection. 

Usually the thought of her ex would cause a twinge in her heart and a sense of sadness would wash over her at the thought of her first everything. She doesn’t even flinch though, she feels nothing. She smiles wider at the thought.

“Earth to Jules! Hello? Did this thing freeze?” Julie looks back to the phone to see the image shaking as Flynn checks the connection. All she can see is the top of Flynn’s head and a laugh bursts out of her.

Flynn brings the phone back in front of her face and is about to ask Julie what has her so distracted when she hears the chime of an incoming text from Julie’s end. Julie’s smiling stupidly at her phone and Flynn’s interest is piqued. 

“Okay, spill. Who are they?” Flynn asks and it pulls Julie back from the distraction.

“Who’s who?” Julie tries. She doesn’t want to talk about him yet. She wants to keep all of the memories of last night protected in her mind for as long as possible but Flynn won’t let it go until she knows. It doesn’t hurt to try, does it?

“Oh no, honey. You’re practically glowing. Spill.” She sees Flynn set the phone down and give Julie her full attention as she rests her head on her hand.

Julie tells her everything. This is her best friend after all. She tells her about his dancing. Buying her drink and opening it in front of her, to which Flynn replies “Oh! An actual gentleman?” She continues to tell her about the rest of the night and when she finishes up with the post-it that she holds up in front of the camera to show Flynn, the other girl squeals.

“Girl, you found a unicorn! But, damn. His handwriting is not it.” Julie laughs and shrugs it off. She takes the phone back to her bedroom where she puts the little sticky in her dream box.

“Alexa, Play ‘you got it bad’” Flynn calls out and Usher’s voice floats out of her phone speaker.

“I hate you. He’s taking me out tonight, by the way.” Julie tells her and Flynn’s eyebrows shoot up on her forehead.

“Two days in a row? Who asked?” 

“He did. Just now.” Julie answers her.

“And he texts back right away? Girl, wow! I better meet him when I’m out there.” 

“We just met, Flynn. Don’t you think introducing him to my best friend before I even know his last name is a little rushed?” Julie responds.

“So you’re telling me you’re not going to see him for the two weeks I’m there?” Julie’s eyes widen at the thought.

“That’s what I thought. I gotta go pack. I’ll see you tomorrow!” Flynn blows her a kiss and ends the call. 

Julie throws herself onto her bed and smiles at the ceiling like an idiot for a while. She has about twenty minutes to shower before her weekly facetime with her dad and Carlos so she gets up and runs to the bathroom.

**Author's Note:**

> Listen, Julie is a grown ass woman who’s comfortable in her own skin and if she’s attracted, she acts on it. That’s my story and I stand by it.  
> Luke is a simp in any universe. That remains the same.
> 
> Songs in this chapter:  
> Your Song- Rita Ora  
> Latch - Disclosure, Sam Smith  
> Dancing With a Stranger - Sam Smith, Normani  
> Breaking Me- Topic, A7S  
> Higher Love- Whitney Houston, Kygo  
> Arms Around You - XXXTENTACION, Lil Pump, Swae Lee, Maluma


End file.
